Son Of A War-Chief
by ScourgeTheBoss
Summary: Varl. Son of Sona, war-chief of the Nora. This is a slightly (very, very slightly, I swear I'm barely changing anything) OOC Varl who I am fleshing out due to the fact that he is quite boring within the main storyline. So this is my story for him, that will build upon into the main storyline and further beyond.


Hey everyone! Just a quick Author note before I start this story:

So I finally played (Yes, I'm late as fuck, I know) Horizon Zero Dawn, without the expansion, and I fricking loved it! However, they didn't do my boy Varl justice. He's just so... Meh. But I still love him the most out of all the NPCs. Even if he is kinda boring.

So other than my burning passion of a ship between Varl & Aloy (which I know is gonna be destroyed by Erend x Aloy haters), I decided to take it upon myself to add a bit of muscle to Varl's story. It really holds alot of potential, seeing as he's as loyal to Aloy as he is to the Nora tribe.

Even though his mother refuses death. Sona was probably born for war.

That's all, thanks for reading! Enjoy!

* * *

_Don't disappoint me... **Like your father**_**.**

Three Arrows shot.

Three Watchers dead.

Striders neighed in alarm, scared of their surroundings.

_He was **Weak.** You must be **Stronger.**_

One stab.

Strider down.

4 left. They searched the grass as they're eyes became crimson with anger.

_You are the son of a **War-chief.**_

Another strike.

Another Strider fallen.

3 left. They had become much more restless now, kicking through grass.

That was more than enough.

_**Act like one.**_

Varl moved, like the ghost of death, as he jumped towards the incoming Strider. His spear shot all the way through its head and it collapsed without even registering the person that killed it. The other 2 came at him, bucking their back legs at him.

But Varl wasn't even there.

He rolled out of the way, stabbing into the joint of the strider's leg to disable it, then plunging his spear straight through the neck. With a series of whirs it finally died.

The final Strider, seeing its brethren taken out so easily, made the better choice. It tried to run away.

But sometimes, the better choice isn't always the best choice.

2 fire arrows hit the Strider in its side. It immediately exploded, as the blaze on it's back caught fire from the arrows. Metal flew everywhere and Varl hid in a bush, waiting for it all the die down. Once it was as silent as the night sky, he emerged and collected his spoils before heading home.

* * *

"Greetings, War-chief."

"How was the hunt?"

"Fine. Nothing I could not handle."

"_Clearly._ You took too long. Better than dead, I suppose."

That was the longest conversation he had with his mother. It was always like this. She was never happy with what he did.

_Better than dead. Maybe it would be better if I _**was **_dead. Would she even care?_

"Brother? You're back!"

A little girl walked into the room, holding what seemed to be her own bow. Upon seeing her older brother, she ran and hugged him. Varl found himself hugging back just as tightly.

"I missed you, big brother..."

"So did I, Vala."

"How many machines did you defeat, brother?"

"8 machines. 3 Watchers & 5 Striders."

"That's amazing, big brother! Do you think I would be able to do that one day?"

Varl chuckled.

"Of course, Vala. You will kill many more."

The War-chief snarled in disgust.

"_Enough._ Both of you, to your rooms. Tomorrow is near. You need to work hard for the Proving."

"Yes mother." Vala replied sweetly, skipping off to her room.

"As you command, War-chief." His voice sounding as robotic as the Machines he had killed that night. Varl gathered his bow and spear as he head further into the hut.

"Varl, wait."

Varl stopped and turned to his mother. She seemed to have something she wanted to say, but decided against it.

"Actually, nothing. You will wake-up early tomorrow for training. Don't let me have to come and get you."

"As you command, War-chief."

Varl continued to his room. Sona sighed as she went to sit at a table, a bowl of gruel in front of her. With a spoon she began to sip away. A voice called out to her.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen. Not even able to say goodnight to your son?"

"Goddess bless you, High Matriarch."

Sona leapt from the table and bowed to show respect but was lifted up from her position. High Matriarch Jezza took her back to the table before them.

"Enough of this, girl. You are my daughter first and foremost. Goddess bless you and all the rabble."

"But you are the High Matriar-"

"Hush now, and eat. I may be a high Matriarch but I was always a mother first."

Sona stopped resisting as she sat down once again. Jezza poured herself some gruel from a pot over a fire and sat down next to Sona.

"Is it so hard, to simply care for your son as a mother would?"

"That's exactly why it's so hard. Why _I'm_ so hard on him. He's my son. The son of a War-chief. A disgraced War-chief-"

"You were not disgraced. What your husband was anything _but_ a disgrace to our Tribe. Even others agree now."

"Hmph. You bewitched them and they believed."

"Ha, you seem to not like it? You still hold your position and no one has even thought of challenging you."

"It doesn't matter. I must be strong enough-"

"And then? After you have all the strength in the Sacred Lands, then what?"

"Then I will protect it."

"Then why bother pushing around my grandson when you want all the power for yourself?"

"Because nothing lasts forever. I will one day die and it will be up to him to carry the torch of War-chief."

"Yet, you've never even told him. Or asked what he thinks of that position."

"I don't need to. I don't ask him to think, I ask him to follow orders when given."

"The Goddess didn't create us like Machines, Sona. We were made to think. _To feel. _Nothing you say will be able to stop him. You could try, but you will never succeed. That is a promise."

"Enough. I have heard that enough times. He is _my_ son, I will teach him not to be like his father."

"His father had much more sympathy than you've ever shown."

"Sympathy will not kill our enemies."

"No it will not. But it allows us to understand each other."

"Then I simply understand that he is **dead.**"

Jezza, having finished her gruel finally changed her expression to a solemn look. She didn't seem angry, but instead giving a scolding look, as if telling off a child.

"One day, Sona, you will realise that you have lost the precious thing that you _thought _were keeping dear to your heart. It will be whisked away like clothes in a summer breeze. That boy won't always listen to every word that falls from your mouth. You can shackle a body, but you can never completely break the _mind._"

Jezza left silently, leaving Sona sitting by herself, her head in hands.

The tapping of feet made her turn. Varl was holding his little sister's hand as they both came into the room. Varl took it upon himself to explain the situation.

"Vala wanted to-"

"_Just go._" Sona said, beginning to eat her gruel. "Just go and then straight to bed."

Varl quickly took his sister to get a drink of water while Sona drank from her bowl quickly before waiting for them. When they were heading to bead, Sona followed them. Varl tucked in his sister and head into his own room.

"Vala?"

"Yes, mother?"

"... Goodnight. May the Goddess bless your sleep."

"Thank you, Mother."

Sona hesitated once more and then gave Vala a light kiss on her forehead before leaving. Vala fell asleep quickly with the brightest smile on her face.

Sona entered Varl's room as he turned over under his sheets.

"Varl?"

He sat up quickly, like a soldier ready for battle.

"You called, War-chief?"

"Goodnight. May the Goddess bless your sleep."

"Thank you, War-chief."

Varl was about to lie back down when he straightened up once more.

"Before being War-chief, I am your mother. you may call me as such."

Varl blinked as he registered what was going on. Then he answered slowly, almost hesitantly.

"Yes... _Mother._"

To him, the name was so _foreign._ Awkward, even. To call her Mother after so long of **War-chief this, War-chief that** was weird to him.

"Good. Sleep well, Varl."

"Yes, mother."

That night, Varl dreamt. He dreamt of his father, his mother, Vala and himself, hunting Striders together. Laughing and smiling as they acted like a real family. For once, he felt real happiness.

Then his father was gone. Everyone was gone. He was by himself, while the tribe surrounded him, looking down at him, saying only one thing:

**Useless**

**Useless**

**Useless**

**USELESS.**

"**NO!**"

Varl woke up, breathing heavily. Sweat covered him head to toe. He got up quickly, took his bow and spear, running out of his house. He didn't even bother changing out of his current attire. It didn't matter, right now, he wanted to run.

Running.

Running was what he was best at, after all. He had always been the fastest. Just like his dad.

**Useless**

His bare feet pumped as he continued to pick up speed. He just wanted to leave. to get out and not come back. Everyone here looked at him with those eyes. They told him he looked just like his father.

**Useless**

A herd. 5 Striders, 4 Watchers.

In his panic, he missed out a Watcher. It turned when it heard him coming, alerting the others. Blue eyes turned to crimson immediately. Varl raised his bow and felt for an arrow.

He didn't have any. He didn't take them in the first place. His panic rose.

A Watcher jumped towards him, its stubby legs ready to trample on him. Varl rolled out of the way barely in time as he picked up his spear with steady hands. He angled it perfectly, just like his father taught him. The Watcher flicked its tail and accepted the challenge.

**Useless**

With a mechanical roar, it attacked again, this time with back-up. Varl rolled backwards easily to dodge one, but was kicked aside by another. He felt the pain in his chest and arm. It wasn't just from being out of breath. He was definitely bleeding. He could feel the red substance oozing from him.

He attacked back, with a vengeance. The Watchers barely knew what hit them. He rammed the spear straight through one's body, tipped it over, then used the momentum of his somersault to fling it off his spear at another Watcher. The additional weight threw it over and trapped it beneath the dead body. Varl quickly stabbed it in the eye, killing it also.

He had barely taken back out his Spear when he needed to dodge another attack from the Striders. He bolted across the field, catching another strider by surprise and stabbing its backside. It began trying to shake him off, bucking and kicking, but Varl held on for dear life. Then, gritting his teeth, he pulled out his spear and fell backwards.

**Useless**

Picking himself up, he threw the spear straight into the same Strider's neck. It fell over immediately but got back up, ready to run off. Varl wouldn't let it though, running up to it and kicking the spear to shred through the Strider's neck and head. With circuits inside it sparking, it keeled over. Varl picked up his spear and ran.

The fight wasn't over yet.

He ducked and weaved between the attacks of a Watcher, stabbing it during every chance he got. The Watcher somehow couldn't keep up with his small body and eventually succumbed to it's injuries. A final stab to the head ensured that it had finally died. A Strider attempted to run him in but Varl had seen it already, leading it to hit a tree.

Varl's mind was working wonders. He collected as many branches as possible while collecting shards from the Machines that had been killed. He had no blaze, but this was good enough.

2 Arrows fired.

The Strider fell for good and didn't get up.

Varl panted for breath as the Machines ran away in fright. This boy was weird to them. It really seemed like he wasn't going to die.

"Spread out, they should be around-"

Varl turned to see his mother and a group of Braves looking at him. The damage across his face spoke volumes more than whatever he could ever say right now. But for some reason, his voice wouldn't come out.

"Varl? What in All-mother's great name are you doing here?!" The War-chief raged as she walked over to him.

"War-chief - He chased off the herd. not before bringing down some though." A brave spoke, looking through the Machines that lay dormant.

"Didn't we need that herd?" Another Brave spoke, as he began to salvage what he could from the Machines.

"Yeah, well, the kid got here first."

"Yep. Made a real mess of it all."

Sona turned to her son, her eyes bright with fury. Varl had never wanted to be so small. He wished he could just disappear into thin air.

"Thanks to you, this journey has been a waste! We needed that Herd and you completely **RUINED IT!**"

"I-I didn't think-"

"I didn't _ask_ you to think! I _asked_ you to _**follow my orders!**_"

Varl looked towards the earth below him. He wouldn't cry. He wasn't allowed. Then his mother would shout even louder.

"Return home. **Now.**" Sona growled, turning away from him. "You've shown me just how much of a _disappointment_ you really are."

Varl shuddered as a single tear finally broke free from his eyes and dropped into the grass beneath him.

"Ugh. How absolutely **Useless.**"

Varl froze as he heard that word. His tears froze up. He couldn't be seen crying. Not here.

"As you wish, mot-... _War-chief_."

Varl trudged along, all the way home. His eyes were dry and his heart was sealed. If following orders meant that he was useful, then that would be what he would do. He would do everything to not become like his father.

He would become the perfect Brave. The perfect Nora. The perfect Hunter. The perfect Soldier.

* * *

Here I am again! Hope you all enjoyed, don't forget to review! It would really mean a lot to know what you all think about this story!


End file.
